Mass media's handling of scientific critique of Ritalin, concerta & strattcra: A social constructionist perspective on psychotropic agents

This article aims to examine how scientific critique of pharmacological treatment with Ritalin, Concerta and Strattera for ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) is handled in eight of the largest newspapers in Sweden, 2002-2015 (n=183 articles). The media study explores the terminology used; the depiction of long-Term harmful effects; the actors given space to express their views; the attention displayed to alternative treatments; the representation of pharmaceutical studies; the role of news and debate articles; the significance of conflicts of interest; and whether ADHD is portrayed as a medical condition. The results show that mass media, in numerous ways, neglects or undermines the critique of pharmacological interventions for ADHD put forward in the scientific literature. In the article a social constructionist approach to psychotropic agents is developed, highlighting the significance of what the authors call "psy- chopharmacological elasticity." The concept illustrates that the boundary between medicines and harmful agents, such as drugs, is flexible from a scientific standpoint and depends on collective definitional processes in society.